What would you do if you had to marry your cousin?
Annie and Cousin Bob
“Mother, Father, please don’t make me do this!” Annie said trying not to let anymore tears roll down her rosy cheeks.
“Annie, there is nothing wrong, with Cousin Bob; he is a fine gentleman and the two of you will someday have a big family together.”
Annie started to gag, he eyes widened and her jaw looked like it would hit the ground. The sick and twisted words seemed to echo through her head like a woodpecker on a tree in the early morning. That simple sentence made her feel everything that is horrible and wrong in the world.
“Now Annie, don’t be like that. I married your father when I was 13, and then a year later I gave birth to you, and your father and I didn’t even know each other. At least you know the guy you are marrying,” Annie’s mother said trying to get her to think better of it. “I would rather not know him,” Annie mumbled under her breath.
“Why can’t I marry who I chose; someone actually a year older than me opposed to 15 years older. I mean look at Catherine and Jacob, they are 1 year apart, and they found true love; I want someone I know and care about just as much as he does me?!?”
“Annie, there is nothing wrong with Cousin Bob. He is adored by a lot of girls your age. He is charming, handsome, and he is very smart. You are sweet, caring, and I think you are going up to be a very pretty young lady. You two are perfect for each other.”
“Then why don’t you have one of those girls marry him?” Annie said disgusted.
“You are marring him because he is the right guy for you, and because we said so!” her father chimed in as he entered the kitchen.
“How do you know my right guy, only I know who the right guy for me is. You are just my parents, I am my own person and you can’t read my mind, and just because I am thirteen years old and a woman, I believe I shouldn’t be treated like I am stupid. I do know exactly what I want.”
“Annie, how dare you talk to your mother and I in that tone!” her father said as he slapped her across the face leaving her there on the ground just staring back at him.
“Bill, you shouldn’t of done that!” her mother yelled at him.
“Mary, she thinks she knows everything, and that we can’t control her life, well she better start treating us with respect, and she needs to start acting like a mature young woman, because she is getting married this Sunday.” Annie’s eyes watered as she got up off the floor and ran outside to the barn.
She pushed herself up on top of the hay barrel and kicked off her shoes as the tears started pouring out of her eyes like water out of a faucet. The tears rolled down her cheeks then off the tip of her nose and onto her long pink dress. Her eyes turned red with dots all around them and her bangs were coming out of the stupid pink bonnet and were sticking to her face making her face itchy.
“Stupid bonnet,” Annie said as she grabbed it off her head and threw it on the ground next to her shoes.
“Annie, are you in here?” a familiar, but annoying voice said as he entered the barn.
Cousin Bob walked into the barn. His feet stomping through the mud as he walked. His pants went up to about his hips while his shirt flowed down over them, with his big fat rodeo belt buckle sticking out. Annie tried to slide off the back of the hay barrel and slip out down the latter and outside through the doors, but as she was sliding off the hay barrel she landed on the ground making a thump.
“Annie?” Cousin Bob said walking over behind the hay barrel. Annie forced a big smile as Cousin Bob took her hands and helped her to her feet.
“You are going to look gorgeous in your wedding dress on Sunday,” he said as he kissed her on the cheek.
“Yea, can’t wait,” Annie said through her clenched teeth. He started walking toward her and she kept backing away, until she hit the wall at the back of the barn and he was up against her. “Just wait, in about a year or so we can have our first child; Phillip, then of course our girl Gwendolyn,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her. That set Annie off.
“Get off me! I am not going to bare any children of yours and I don’t want to marry you!” Annie said pushing Cousin Bob away from her.
“Like it or not, you will marry on Sunday, you will bare my children, and you will like it,” Cousin Bob said nailing her back up against the wall. He pinned her arms against the wall leaving her powerless to push him off as he kissed her hard and slow. She fell to the ground when he finally let go; she felt defeated, like there was no way out, nothing left to fight for. Bob stayed there for a few minutes, then headed back up to the house like nothing ever happened, while Annie laid there hurt, confused, and defeated.
“Annie, there is nothing wrong, with Cousin Bob; he is a fine gentleman and the two of you will someday have a big family together.”
Annie started to gag, he eyes widened and her jaw looked like it would hit the ground. The sick and twisted words seemed to echo through her head like a woodpecker on a tree in the early morning. That simple sentence made her feel everything that is horrible and wrong in the world.
“Now Annie, don’t be like that. I married your father when I was 13, and then a year later I gave birth to you, and your father and I didn’t even know each other. At least you know the guy you are marrying,” Annie’s mother said trying to get her to think better of it. “I would rather not know him,” Annie mumbled under her breath.
“Why can’t I marry who I chose; someone actually a year older than me opposed to 15 years older. I mean look at Catherine and Jacob, they are 1 year apart, and they found true love; I want someone I know and care about just as much as he does me?!?”
“Annie, there is nothing wrong with Cousin Bob. He is adored by a lot of girls your age. He is charming, handsome, and he is very smart. You are sweet, caring, and I think you are going up to be a very pretty young lady. You two are perfect for each other.”
“Then why don’t you have one of those girls marry him?” Annie said disgusted.
“You are marring him because he is the right guy for you, and because we said so!” her father chimed in as he entered the kitchen.
“How do you know my right guy, only I know who the right guy for me is. You are just my parents, I am my own person and you can’t read my mind, and just because I am thirteen years old and a woman, I believe I shouldn’t be treated like I am stupid. I do know exactly what I want.”
“Annie, how dare you talk to your mother and I in that tone!” her father said as he slapped her across the face leaving her there on the ground just staring back at him.
“Bill, you shouldn’t of done that!” her mother yelled at him.
“Mary, she thinks she knows everything, and that we can’t control her life, well she better start treating us with respect, and she needs to start acting like a mature young woman, because she is getting married this Sunday.” Annie’s eyes watered as she got up off the floor and ran outside to the barn.
She pushed herself up on top of the hay barrel and kicked off her shoes as the tears started pouring out of her eyes like water out of a faucet. The tears rolled down her cheeks then off the tip of her nose and onto her long pink dress. Her eyes turned red with dots all around them and her bangs were coming out of the stupid pink bonnet and were sticking to her face making her face itchy.
“Stupid bonnet,” Annie said as she grabbed it off her head and threw it on the ground next to her shoes.
“Annie, are you in here?” a familiar, but annoying voice said as he entered the barn.
Cousin Bob walked into the barn. His feet stomping through the mud as he walked. His pants went up to about his hips while his shirt flowed down over them, with his big fat rodeo belt buckle sticking out. Annie tried to slide off the back of the hay barrel and slip out down the latter and outside through the doors, but as she was sliding off the hay barrel she landed on the ground making a thump.
“Annie?” Cousin Bob said walking over behind the hay barrel. Annie forced a big smile as Cousin Bob took her hands and helped her to her feet.
“You are going to look gorgeous in your wedding dress on Sunday,” he said as he kissed her on the cheek.
“Yea, can’t wait,” Annie said through her clenched teeth. He started walking toward her and she kept backing away, until she hit the wall at the back of the barn and he was up against her. “Just wait, in about a year or so we can have our first child; Phillip, then of course our girl Gwendolyn,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her. That set Annie off.
“Get off me! I am not going to bare any children of yours and I don’t want to marry you!” Annie said pushing Cousin Bob away from her.
“Like it or not, you will marry on Sunday, you will bare my children, and you will like it,” Cousin Bob said nailing her back up against the wall. He pinned her arms against the wall leaving her powerless to push him off as he kissed her hard and slow. She fell to the ground when he finally let go; she felt defeated, like there was no way out, nothing left to fight for. Bob stayed there for a few minutes, then headed back up to the house like nothing ever happened, while Annie laid there hurt, confused, and defeated.